


Swapout: The Game to End All Games

by Pandioka



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Talentswap (Dangan Ronpa), F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27637070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandioka/pseuds/Pandioka
Summary: Hope's Peak Academy is one of the most elite high-schools there is. The only students even allowed to attend are those with "special talents", talents that they excel at better than anything else. Attending this school is a lifetime opportunity for those "Ultimates. Well, this certainly isn't true for Kyoko Kirigiri. She was accepted through a raffle, through pure good luck. But was it really good luck when Kyoko stepped through the doors of Hope's Peak, where she might never leave again? Where she was thrown into a killing game with fourteen other Ultimates? No...that wasn't good luck.It was bad luck.And there was more where that came from.
Relationships: Asahina Aoi & Ogami Sakura, Fujisaki Chihiro & Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Owada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Oowada Mondo, Kirigiri Kyoko & Kuwata Leon, Kirigiri Kyoko & Naegi Makoto, Kuwata Leon/Maizono Sayaka
Kudos: 17





	1. Just Your Everyday Student

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is a Talentswap AU of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. But talents aren't the only thing being changed up ;) Yup, all the story's events will also change! This means different blackeneds, different victims, different masterminds and more!  
> Here is a list of all the switched up characters:
> 
> Kyoko Kirigiri = Ultimate Lucky Student  
> Makoto Naegi = Ultimate ??? (Detective)  
> Kiyotaka Ishimaru = Ultimate Swimming Pro  
> Aoi Asahina = Ultimate Moral Compass  
> Mondo Owada = Ultimate Martial Artist  
> Sakura Ogami = Ultimate Biker Gang Leader  
> Leon Kuwata = Ultimate Musician  
> Sayaka Maizono = Ultimate Softball Star  
> Byakuya Togami = Ultimate Gambler  
> Celestia Ludenberg = Ultimate Affluent Progeny  
> Toko Fukawa = Ultimate Fanfic Creator  
> Hifumi Yamada = Ultimate Writing Prodigy  
> Mukuro Ikusaba = Ultimate Fashionista  
> Junko Enoshima = Ultimate Soldier  
> Yasuhiro Hagakure = Ultimate Programmer  
> Chihiro Fujisaki = Ultimate Clairvoyant
> 
> I hope you enjoy your experience reading Swapout: The Game to End All Games.

The ginormous high-school towered before me, taking the spotlight away from all the other buildings in the vicinity. With gleaming windows and smooth bricks, there's no doubt this school is definitely being taken care of. Well, of course it is. It's Hope's Peak Academy after all. The high-school that tops all others.

Built hundred of years ago, Hope's Peak Academy is famous for it's success and wealth. But it's not only because of it's neatness. The school is famous for only accepting those that are specially talented, nicknamed the "Ultimates" by the general public. These "Ultimates" are, without a doubt, the elite. The very best at what they do, depending on their talent. Despite nobody wanting to admit it, everyone's at least a little envious of them. Those students represent everyone's hopes, everyone's dreams, and they're the ones who will shape the world into a better place. After all, it's not gonna be someone else.

You might be wondering, who am I exactly? Well, my name is Kyoko Kirigiri, and I'm the Ultimate...nothing. I have no talent. I'm just your everyday high-school student. I get good grades, sure, but you can't really say much else about me. I'm just average, like everyone else.

So why exactly do I have an acceptance letter in my hand? It's not like I'm being modest about my talent, because I really don't have one. In fact, the only reason I'm here at all is because of pure simple luck. Recently, the Hope's Peak staff held a raffle, the prize being getting accepted into this place. I slipped my name in like everyone else, but I really had no hope of ever getting picked. My name was one out of thousands. And yet...I was chosen anyway. Given the title of the "Ultimate Lucky Student". I know, it sounds ridiculous. But what else were they going to pick? The "Ultimate Raffle Winner"? Yeah, I didn't think so.

But here I was, standing in front of the academy itself. A untalented kid like me, about to step foot in a place teeming with people unlike myself. It would be an understatement to say I was nervous. After all, there was some tough competition I was going up against.

Because Hope's Peak Academy was such a famous and well-known school, it's been quite the conversation topic among other kids, especially when it comes to talking about the school's current attendees. To prepare myself for what was to come, I decided to look up some of these threads, just to feel ready. Yeah, that didn't work at all. In fact, it just made me feel even more anxious. But I did find some pretty good information.

One student coming to school this year was the "Ultimate Musician", also known as Leon Kuwata. He's been famous ever since he was 12, after performing an original song at a talent competition. Now he's the lead singer of a popular band known all over the country. I've even listened to some of his albums before, so I can't deny his talent is pretty extraordinary.

There's also the "Ultimate Softball Star", with her real name being Sayaka Maizono. She's broken world records from all over the place, and pro softball teams are already gearing up to recruit her once she graduates.

Then there's the "Ultimate Fashionista", Mukuro Ikusaba. I see her in almost every magazine I've ever read, from model covers to advertisements. She's what ever high-school girl wants to be, and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't want to be in her shoes.

I also read something about the "Ultimate Biker Gang Leader", Sakura Ogami. She's the leader of every **single** biker gang in Japan. Gangs around the globe would kill to have her join.

There's also the "Ultimate Martial Artist", the "Ultimate Fanfic Creator", the "Ultimate Gambler", the "Ultimate Swimming Pro", the "Ultimate Programmer", the "Ultimate Clairvoyant" and more..

Yeah, I wasn't kidding when I said "competition." 

My anxiousness started to kick in again as I thought about this. All those Ultimates, with so much to prove and so much to hope for, and then there's me. Just a nobody. _But, I can't just stand here forever, can I? Eventually, I've got to step inside!_

To give myself something to do, I glanced down at the acceptance letter still in my hand. It mentioned that there would be an orientation meeting for all the new coming students around 8 AM. Even though the meeting wouldn't be for a while...I still felt like I had to go in.

"After all, it's now or never, right?" I said to myself. Firmly gripping the letter that determined my future, I gathered up all my courage and took my first steps toward a new beginning.

Swinging the wide doors open, I arrived at what seemed to be the entrance hall. Rechecking the letter, I saw that this was where we were supposed to meet. But there was no one here yet...Inwardly, I breathed in a sigh of relief. I was a little thankful to not be face to face with an Ultimate so soon. And even more thankful that I wasn't about to get asked "what kind of Ultimate **I** was". I could almost picture an Ultimate's confused face when I told them that I wasn't even one of them. "Come on, Kirigiri, get yourself together.." I muttered to myself. _I should probably take a look around the school now that I have the time._

Stuffing my acceptance letter away in my pocket, I started to walk near the closest hallway. But suddenly..

"Ghh-!!" I stumbled backward as a wave of vertigo hit me, warping my vision and making it spin and spin and spin. I clutched onto a nearby column and tried to resist the urge to vomit as my view continued to twist and collapse onto itself over and over and over.

And then everything went black. And that is how it all began. How my life ended, and a new one began. But this wasn't a good kind of change. This time, there was no hope waiting for me on the other side. Only **despair.**


	2. Introductions are for Babies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fourteen other Hope's Peak students are introduced, and the game begins.

Darkness **.** Just darkness. Darkness that consumed everything else, every other thought and feeling. Who knows how long this darkness surrounded me. And then...

"...ggh...Nng?" I slowly opened my eyes. _How long have I been out for? And...where am I?_ With an effort, I raised my head up. "Wh-What the..?" I was dumbfounded. It looked like I was inside some sort of classroom, though it was unlike any other classroom I'd ever been in before. The walls were a bright yellow, almost painful to look at, and it was covered with posters and notes, most likely about classwork. There was a weird monitor, almost like a television, propped up against the wall as well. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that, after all, this is Hope's Peak. And weirdest of all, the windows were-??!

"What in the world..?" In any normal classroom, the windows should have been right there. But in here...they were covered up, with what looked to be a huge metal plate. Even worse, it was bolted in by thick huge screws. I lifted myself out of my seat slowly and walked over to the "windows". With a steady hand, I gripped the plate tightly and pulled at the metal as hard as I could. But it was no use. The plate didn't move an inch. "There better be a serious explanation for this.." I muttered to myself, looking upward. _Strange.._ Not only were there plates on the windows, but there was also a surveillance camera hanging from the ceiling. But why would the school need to put something like that in a classroom?

Glancing up at the clock near the television, I gawked. "8 o' clock?! It was only 7 when I got here!" I let go of the plate and hurriedly rushed toward the door. Whatever reason behind all this had to be explained eventually, right? Yeah, there must be _some_ kind of logical answer to this. With this hope in mind, I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned. The door opened with a click and I stepped outside.

"Geez, this is getting stranger by the minute..." I said quietly, looking around. The hallway walls were covered with a bright purple checkered pattern, unlike any kind of color you would see in a normal school. "I know this is Hope's Peak, but surely they would choose a more traditional color?" I sighed. _I better head to the main hall anyway, I'm sure the rest of the students are waiting for me.._ Anxiety crept into my stomach again at the thought of meeting the Ultimates, but this feeling was quickly snuffed down by the confusion and suspicion also plaguing me. Regardless, I went ahead and continued walking toward my destination.

While on the way, I noticed that the hallway walls abruptly changed from a purple color to a neon green. Ignoring the anxiety I got from this, I walked on until I noticed the entrance hall doorway. _Alright, here goes nothing. Here's where I officially start my school life...No matter how strange things seem right now, I mustn't give up hope!_ And I swung the door wide open.

~~~

When I walked in, everyone else was already there. I was suddenly surprised to see so many faces, even though I was already expecting them. They all looked so different, so unique from one another. I immediately recognized some familiar faces, like the Ultimate Fashionista or the Ultimate Musician. However, nobody recognized me, and so every single Ultimate in the room turned around to face the newcomer. All the anxiety that was snuffed down suddenly rose up again, robbing me of my voice and forcing me to stand and look awkwardly at everybody else. Suddenly, a voice rang out.

"Whoa, another new kid?" A petite girl with short golden hair and a green dress said enthusiastically. This abrupt exclamation quickly snapped me out of my thoughts.

"W-wait so, you guys are all...?"

"Yeah, we're all students here," A taller kid with a messy afro of hair and at least three coats on answered. "Today's supposed to be our first day of class..."

"So, counting her, that makes fifteen.." A girl with brown braids and glasses wondered out loud, "It seems like a good cut-off point, but I wonder if this is really everyone.."

Standing before me were the Ultimates themselves. Hand-picked by the school's staff for their extraordinary talents and skills, and here they all were. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I swear there was some kind of feeling I got from each of them, some aura of personality and skill. But I couldn't stand and gawk at them forever. These were my classmates after all, and if we were going to spend the rest of our high-school life together, I had to get to know them.

I cleared my throat. "Um, hi! My name is Kyoko Kirigiri." Everyone's heads turned to me again. "I'm really sorry I was late, a bunch of stuff happened and then I..." I paused. They were going to think I was an idiot for saying this, but I had to tell the truth. "I just fell asleep all of a sudden.."

The petite girl gasped audibly. "You too?? No way!!" She exclaimed. _Wait, what?_

A tall figure with a suit and glasses put his hand to his chin and pondered aloud, "Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser."

"Strange.." The braided girl said, "This is a very strange situation indeed.."

"Uh...what are you talking about?" I asked. _Strange situation? I didn't know me falling asleep needed that much scrutinizing.._

"Just a moment!!" A loud voice chimed in, interrupting me of my thoughts. I turned around to see a girl staring at me intensely. With her brown hair tied up in a ponytail and a bright school uniform on, she looked like a exaggerated hall monitor. "There's something else we must address!!"

I looked at her confusedly. "...Which would be?" I had no idea what was going on at the moment, but one thing was perfectly clear. This was one of the strangest orientation meetings I've ever been to in my life.

The girl suddenly pointed at me. "Kyoko!! Your tardiness is unacceptable!! Surely you were aware that this meeting started at 8 AM sharp!"

"Wh-wha-??" I stuttered. 

She continued. "To be late on your first day is unspeakable!! I must report you, and you must accept your due punishment!!"

Before I could even begin to process what she just said, another girl chimed in. "What's your problem? It's not like she _wanted_ to be late, she had no control over it!" The girl who just spoke flipped her short black hair back and I immediately recognized her as the Ultimate Fashionista. Despite how strange the situation was, I couldn't deny I felt kind of elated that the Ultimate Fashionista herself defended me.

"Everyone just calm down!" Another kid exclaimed. I looked around and noticed the speaker standing somewhat in the back of the room, immediately recognizing him as the Ultimate Swimming Pro. He had a black and red jacket on, with matching goggles over his head, looking like a stereotypical adventurer. "Listen, why don't we go and introduce ourselves? It'll help to stop all this confusion!" He suggested.

"Now's no time for introductions.." The goggles kid faltered as a muscular figure with long white hair stepped in. This was the Ultimate Biker Gang leader, huh? Suddenly, I got a very strong urge to back away.

The guy with the suit laughed, a small unamused thing. "Maybe, but it will benefit us to find out who each of us are before investigating the bigger problems here, right? I mean, how are we supposed to talk to each other if we do not know each other's names?"

"That's a good point.." The kid with the coats said.

"Alright.." Another kid spoke up, and I turned to face him. I recognized him immediately as the Ultimate Musician. He had bright orangey hair with a small goatee on the bottom of his chin, and he was wearing some kind of white jacket. "So let's just get introductions out of the way, and then we can move on to whatever else. Sound good?"

I was still so confused. What on earth was happening right now? Judging by the way everyone was acting, they were just as confused as I was.. But surely, there must be some reason for why no teachers have shown up yet, or why I collapsed upon arrival. _Well for now, I guess I should focus on getting to know my classmates._ _So I guess here's my chance._ I took a deep breath and walked over.

The first person I decided to introduce myself to was the girl with the uniform, the one who had yelled at me. Mainly this was because I didn't want her to actually report me. Upon me walking over, she smiled and introduced herself. "I'm Aoi Asahina! I believe in bold simplicity. Let's work together to achieve the highest education and knowledge possible!"

_Huh, so this is the Ultimate Moral Compass, huh? Well, the title definitely fits._ According to what I saw about her online, she went to a famous private school and won the top honor awards every single year. She's basically a flawless student. Hina's also known for the work she's done with the Public Morals Committee. They say that she values rules over all else, definitely earning her the title of the "Ultimate Moral Compass."

"Anyway, you can call me Hina. You said your name was Kyoko Kirigiri, right?" I nodded. "That's a good name, a strong name!!" Hina exclaimed. She suddenly patted me on the shoulder. "You should thank your parents for giving you such an excellent name!"

Hina suddenly raised her voice again. "And to keep that name from losing it's value, you must devote yourself and work hard every single day!" I jolted backward, shocked at the sudden exclamation. "Life is worth putting every amount of effort into it!! Right? Right!!" 

_She's...a little annoying._ I said my goodbyes and walked over to another student. This time, I walked over to an admittedly large kid with a backpack and glasses. When I came over, he turned away from me, with a mixture of irritation and shyness on his face. "N-Not that you'll remember me anyway, b-but I'm H-Hifumi. Hifumi Yamada." He said.

_This must be the Ultimate Writing Prodigy.._ From what I've read online, he wrote a romance novel when he was ten that got everybody talking about it, and kickstarted his literary career. And two years ago, he released a book called "So Lingers the Ocean", a novel said to be his masterpiece. The book was such a hit with women that fishermen, the career with which the love interest in the book has, quickly shot to the top of every "Hottest Men" poll. Despite being only a high-schooler, Hifumi's won dozens of literary prizes and all his books are bestsellers, which is why he's known as the "Ultimate Writing Prodigy". I've got to admit, that's impressive.

I guess I wasn't being too subtle about my thoughts, for he suddenly looked away. "W-What? It's not polite to stare, y'know.." He muttered. Then suddenly, he exclaimed. "Stop staring at me like I'm some kind of creature at the zoo!!"

"W-What??" I sputtered out. "C-creature?? No, I just thought-"

Hifumi interrupted me. "I-I know what you "just" thought!! Y-you thought you've never seen such an ugly person before!! You th-thought it was soo funny!!"

"N-No, wait I-!" 

"Don't bother trying to lie to me!!" He cried, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "I know it's true!" Then suddenly, he looked down. "Wh-whatever, I don't care. I'm used to it.."

I thought about comforting him, but fear of another outburst caused me to just step away. I walked back to the middle and instead went up to a person I recognized. A familiar orange-haired person looked up as I approached and smiled.

"Hey, I'm Leon Kuwata! Nice to meet you!" He grinned. 

"U-Uh, I'm Kyoko!" I smiled back.

_So that's the Ultimate Musician, huh?_ The leader of one of the most famous bands in the country. I was actually pretty surprised to see him on the attendee list, but not just because of his popularity.

I'm sure he doesn't remember, but.. Actually, never mind. The thing is, despite him being a recognizable face to me, I was pretty nervous to be talking to him.

Leon suddenly laughed. "Hey, there's no need to be nervous! I promise, I'm not stuck up like other celebrities out there!"

"H-Huh?!" I exclaimed. "Did I say that out loud?"

Leon's eyes hardened. "No, I'm psychic."

"..What?"

He suddenly burst into laughter. "Nah, I'm just kidding. I just have pretty good intuition."

"Ohh!" I started laughing as well. Definitely not what I expected from somebody was famous as him, but it was a pleasant surprise from all the other Ultimates I'd met so far.

Leon let out a last chuckle and then started looking at me closely. "Hey, by any chance, did you..?"

"Huh? What's up?" I asked.

Leon crossed his arms. "..Yeah, it must be! I'm sure of it.. Hey, Kyoko, did you ever--?"

But whatever the Ultimate Musician was about to say was cut off by a yell. "Jeez, you guys!" Hina exclaimed. "How long do you plan to waste our time with this chit chat? We've got important things to do!!"

"O-Oh, sorry.." Leon uncrossed his arms. Hina continued.

"Self-introductions are for introducing yourself, not blabbering on about a bunch of nonsense!!"

"You're right...sorry...I guess we do need to be more focused.." Leon sighed. He then turned to me. "Sorry, Kyoko.." He said with a sheepish grin. "We'll talk about this later!" Leon then quickly disappeared.

_Huh, it sounded like he wanted to tell me something important.._ _But I suppose we can always talk later after all._

I turned around and walked toward another familiar face, this time belonging to a girl wearing a softball jersey and a blue cap. She turned toward me and smiled. "Hi, I'm Sayaka Maizono! What's up?"

_The Ultimate Softball Star.._ I definitely recognize her name. She played for the national high school champs as their cleanup hitter. Her incredible talent definitely made her stand out. And I wasn't surprised to see that she was all decked out in a typical softball outfit.

"Hey, I'm Kyoko! Nice to meet you!" We shook hands.

"So, where do you think all the teachers are?" Sayaka asked. "I mean, it's way past 8 AM, and it wouldn't be like the Hope's Peak Staff to just not show up, y'know?"

"Yeah, you've got a point." I looked up at the clock, which currently read 8:20 AM. Definitely past 8.

"Well, at least without the teachers around, we get a little bit of free time," Sayaka laughed. 

"Yeah, but it still worries me on where they all might have gone.." I said, still looking at the clock.

Sayaka put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Kyoko! I'm sure they'll show up soon!"

I smiled. "Yeah, alright. Thanks, Sayaka."

"No problem!" She grinned. "See you around, Kyoko!"

I waved goodbye to Sayaka and went up to the last person in the small circle, the braided girl.

"I'm Toko Fukawa!" She announced confidentially. "But if you want to call me by my famous nickname, "The Savior of the Skies!", that's fine too."

_So this is the Ultimate Fanfic Creator? She seems to fit the description._ "By the way," Toko asked, interrupting my train of thought. "How much do you know about the world of 2D Art?"

"World of...what?" I asked.

"The world of 2D!" Toko looked at me. "You really don't know what that is?" I shook my head. "Well, that makes perfect sense! Considering you didn't bow and salute me when I approached!"

I gave her an odd look. "I am very well known in that world as the "Ultimate Fanfic Creator", you know!" Toko explained, as if it was logical. "I once sold over ten thousand copies of one of my fan comics at a school festival!" She sighed, as if the memory itself was enough to bring joy. "Let's just say that the event has passed into legend.."

"Of course.." Toko looked away, irritated. "Some of them didn't get it...saying I'd "tainted the event. I mean, how stupid can you be?!"

_Despite how questionable the comics might have been, selling over 10,000 copies is astounding.._

She continued. "The words of those idiots mean nothing to me. I am simply unappreciated in my time, like Van Gogh.. I am a soldier, constantly fighting to destroy all mindless judgements about fanfiction.."

Toko suddenly pulled out a book from inside her pocket. "I'm sure if you were to observe my work, Ms. Kirigiri, you would see it's true greatness immediately!" She claimed and pushed the comic into my arms. "For this work is filled with deepest meaning.."

Utterly confused and absolutely clueless as to the apparent importance of a fanfiction, I asked, "What...what kind of meaning..?"

"It's about embracing our basest urges!" Toko proclaimed.

_I don't think I even want to comprehend it.._

I thanked Toko quickly for the book and then dropped it on the floor when I was sure she wasn't looking. Looking over, I realized I'd spoken to everybody in that small clump of people. _Guess it's time to move on to the others._ I walked over to another set of people and approached the student with the goggles.

He smiled at me. "Heya! I'm Kiyotaka Ishimaru! But my friends just call me Taka. What's up?"

_This must be the Ultimate Swimming Pro.. He's been breaking records in every competition he's been in since elementary school. He's even been chosen as an upcoming Olympic cadet! Taka is, without a doubt, the Ultimate Swimming Pro._

"So uh, what was your name again?" He asked sheepishly. "Sorry, I don't have the best memory.."

"Kyoko Kirigiri." I said.

"Oh yeah, I knew it had to be something like that!" Taka grinned. "Alright, I'll hammer it into my brain now!"

I looked at him confusedly as he started repeating "Kyoko...Kirigiri...Kyoko...Kirigiri.." under his breath and moving his finger across his hand like he was writing something.

"Uh, what are you doing?" I asked him.

"You don't know?" Taka looked up. "If you really wanna remember somebody's name, you gotta write it on your hand three times!"

"Really? I've never heard of that!" I said thoughtfully.

"Hey uh, by the way, how do you spell your last name?" Taka asked me.

"K-i-r-i-g-i-r-i." I said, laughing softly.

"K...i...r...uh.." Taka muttered and repeated the motions with his hand again.

He paused, and then looked up and laughed, "Eh, I have no idea. I'll just figure it out later and write it down!"

"Anyway, nice to meet you!" Taka turned and waved goodbye before going off to talk to someone else.

"Alright, see ya!" I waved back and watched him go. _Well, he's definitely an easygoing type of person._

I walked off and went near the kid with the coats. He waved as I approached.

"Hi, nice to meet you! I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure. But uh, you can just call me Hiro.." He said with a small smile.

_I remember seeing his name online as well! Apparently, he's the Ultimate Programmer. He's created dozens of amazing programs ever since he was a kid, and won quite a few awards for it._

"Haha, sorry, I get kinda embarrassed when I introduce myself like this," Hiro smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, I hope we can get along!"

"Same here," I smiled. "It's nice to meet you!"

Hiro's eyes suddenly widened as he took a closer look at me. "M-Maybe it's just me, but, have we met before..?" He asked.

"Huh? Uh, I don't think so.." I said.

"Oh okay...sorry." Hiro looked down at the floor awkwardly.

"Uh, you don't have to apologize!" I said quickly.

"Oh, alright then.." He smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Kyoko!"

I smiled and waved goodbye to Hiro, and then walked over to a boy with a dark green vest and light brown hair. For some reason, I started to get an odd feeling the closer I got to him. It wasn't a bad feeling, but...it was almost like a familiarity, a different feeling than the one I had with Leon, because I was sure I'd never seen this kid before... I haven't even seen him online, which was surprising, considering he must have been an Ultimate and all. Ignoring the feeling, I approached him and he looked up.

However, instead of saying anything, he just looked at me. Feeling awkward, I didn't say anything back. We stared at each other for a few seconds until I finally spoke up. "So uh...what's your name?"

He paused, and then finally said, "My name is Makoto Naegi."

_Huh.._ I'd thought that maybe learning his name would cause me to remember who he was, but no...I still didn't recognize him or his name from anywhere online. Which makes me wonder...is he here by chance, just like me?

Curiosity overcame me, and so I asked, "So uh...what's your talent?"

However, if anything confused me so far, the most confusing of all was his response. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, I meant...If you're a student here, you must be some kind of "Ultimate", right? So what kind of Ultimate are you?"

He paused for a few seconds, and then said, "Why should I tell you?"

_Huh?_ _Why would he not want to tell me?_

"Uh, what..? I mean...I guess you don't have to tell me if you don't want to?"

"That's right," He responded, looking away from me, "I _don't_ have to tell you, and so I won't."

_I wonder why he doesn't want to_ _..._ Either way, Makoto didn't say anything else after that, and so I decided to just walk away. I guess I'll find out who he is later, when class starts. 

I noticed the Ultimate Fashionista standing not too far away, twirling her black hair with her finger. I went up to her and she waved at my approach. "Hiii!! I'm Mukuro Ikusaba! Charmed to meet ya!"

_Of course, I didn't need the introduction. Anybody would recognize Mukuro, the Ultimate Fashionista._ She's practically the perfect high-school girl, the one everybody wants to be. But there was one striking difference I immediately noticed upon approaching.

"Hey, uh, this might be a weird question.." I said, looking at her closely to make sure I wasn't mistaken, "But what happened to your freckles?"

"Huh?" Mukuro looked at me confusedly.

_Mukuro's signature freckles, the trait that's practically become a part of her image over time, was just not there? Can freckles disappear?_

"Oh!" Mukuro laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, the freckles are fake."

"Huh?"

"One of my managers thought it would be funny to add freckles on my cover photo once, and he completely fooled everyone." Mukuro laughed. "They just had to keep adding them whenever I posed for a shoot to keep up the act."

"O-Oh, I see..." _Well, there goes every high-school girl's dreams to have Mukuro's freckles._

I said goodbye to Mukuro and walked over to the muscular girl, who was wearing a black jacket over a ripped dress. She looked up as I walked over. "I'm Sakura Ogami. Nice to meet you." 

_Sakura's the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader.._ _the current leader of the largest biker gang in Japan, which should be pretty obvious considering her title. She's earned respect, fame, and awe from all the other gangs in the country. She definitely earned the title of the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader._

"Uh, nice to meet you too!" I stuttered out. Admittedly, I was a little scared of her.

Sakura nodded at my reply, but then turned away. _Well, that was quick. I've got to watch my step around her._ I muttered a goodbye and walked over to the next group, this time only containing four people. I walked over to a tall muscular man who had a white jacket on and a large pompadour, who looked just as intimidating as Sakura. Gathering up my courage, I went up and approached him.

"I'm Mondo Owada." He said glancing over at me.

_The Ultimate Martial Artist. I also read about him over on the Internet, and according to it, he's fought in over 400 matches, and never lost a single one. I've got to be careful around him as well._ _Don't want to get my lights knocked out by the best Martial Artist in the country after all._

"So," He said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What do you think about all this?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean the lack of teachers?" I asked.

Mondo nodded. "Someone better show up soon, or I can't guarantee I'll stay around much longer."

_Well, at least he's a little conversational._

I said my goodbyes and came over to to a formal-looking girl with long black hair and and a black jacket over a formal white dress. She looked up as I said hello.

"The name's Celestia Ludenberg." She said, straightening her hair.

_The Ultimate Affluent Progeny.. Born into the wealthy Ludenberg family, she quickly showcased her talents in the field, and gained the title of the "Ultimate Affluent Progeny." Though there's been some disagreement whether or not she truly deserves to be an Ultimate just because of her wealth, I'm quite sure that she has true talent in what she does._

"It's nice to meet you!" I smiled.

Celeste made a small sound of agreement, but said nothing. _Another awkward conversation, huh.._

Eventually, she rolled her eyes and said, "We're done with introducing ourselves, right? How much longer are you going to stand there? Go away already."

"I-" Celeste glared at me, and I quickly backed away and walked off. _Yeesh, how polite.. I guess maybe those online threads were right about her after all._

I walked over to the girl with the green dress and she waved happily. "I'm Chihiro Fujisaki! It's great to meet you!"

_Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Clairvoyant. She's made quite the name for herself because of her talent. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of fortune-telling, but Chihiro must be pretty talented, to be accepted into Hope's Peak._

Suddenly, Chihiro put her left hand to her chin in a thinking position and started inspecting me. "Hmm...eh, I give up." She sighed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I saw it! I really did! But it was gone in a flash.." She complained, putting down her hands.

"...Saw what?"

"A guardian angel with a crazy perm chasing after Bigfoot running off with a skyfish in it's mouth!" Chihiro exclaimed, as if this was a perfectly normal thing to say.

"S-Sorry, what?" I sputtered.

"And that guardian angel...is your guardian angel!" Chihiro pointed at me enthusiastically, reminding me of a kinder Hina. Then she started laughing. "Nah, I'm just kidding. The look on your face was pretty hilarious though!"

"Ohh, I see," I chuckled and said goodbye to Chihiro, and walked over to the last person, the guy with the suit. He looked up and smiled at me, giving off a strange kind of aura, almost in a mysterious way.

"I do not think that we have ever been acquainted. I'm Byakuya Togami." He announced.

_The Ultimate Gambler, Byakuya Togami. They say he's never lost a bet, and because of his skills. he's built up an extremely wealthy fortune for himself, even at the ripe age of 16. The only truth really known about him is that everything he says could be a lie. Yeah, not very comforting.._

I awkwardly shook his hand. "Hey, I'm Kyoko Kirigiri."

"I look forward to getting to know you." Byakuya said and smiled, but it wasn't a genuine one. It was more like the one he used at his gambling competitions, a face that really showed no emotion at all. Though it's most likely a good strategy to adopt a "poker face" while playing, having it while talking to someone else is quite uncomfortable.

I quickly said goodbye and rushed off, before realizing that I'd finished all the introductions. _Well, now would be a good time to check where exactly I am._ An immediate thing I noticed about the main hall was that it was now much darker, most likely because of all the windows being boarded up. _Which leads me to the question of why? Why would the school do something like this?_ In addition to the intimidating surveillance cameras propped up on the ceiling, there was also a huge metal vault, almost like something you'd see in a sci-fi movie, boarding the entrance shut.

I walked over and tugged at the door with all my strength, but no luck. Just like the windows, the vault wasn't going anywhere. _This is too strange.. I don't think the school would do this.._ Wherever the staff is, they better answer our questions once we find them.

"What the hell..?" A voice echoed behind me and I turned around to see Leon staring up at the vault. "What _is_ this thing?"

I sighed. "I have no idea. It looks like a vault door, but I don't see why the school would ever want to put this here.."

Leon came over and gave it a tug. "Well, it's not going anywhere, that's for sure. But surely they couldn't have put it up so quickly?"

"What do you mean?" I looked over at him.

"Well, I got here at maybe 7:30, and the doors were still open and perfectly fine, but when I woke up 20 minutes later, the vault was already installed! That's crazy! There's no way the school could have done this so fast _and_ have time to install cameras and monitors." Leon exclaimed. I thought about this.

"Yeah... there's no way, right? And I'm pretty sure those plates over the windows weren't there before either.." I put in. Leon nodded.

"I'm sure we'll figure this out though. The orientation should begin soon enough." He remarked, glancing up at the clock, which currently read 8:30.

"Yeah, we've just got to be cautious for now." Leon and I parted ways and I went over to the corner and took another look at all the students. _My classmates..._ _They're all so different and unique, and all so talented. It really makes you wonder how an ordinary person like me ended up here.._

A voice cut in, interrupting my train of thought for what had to be the third time today. It was Celeste. "Alright, everyone. Let's get down to business."

Everyone's heads turned to her as she continued. "This is no time to be rushing through idle chit-chat when we're obviously in a very extreme situation."

Byakuya nodded. "It appears we have bigger matters on our hand than just the lack of teachers."

"W-What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, uh, Kyoko.." Leon appeared beside me. "You said a bunch of stuff happened and then you just "fell asleep", is that right?"

"U-Uh yeah.." Embarrassed, I turned my gaze to the wall, but what he said next shocked me.

"Yeah, that's what happened to all of us as well."

"Wait, what?!" I turned to him with what was probably a stupid expression on my face. "Are you serious?!"

Sayaka ran her fingers through her hair. "Each one of us lost consciousness after entering the main hall, just to wake up in some sort of strange-looking classroom." She remarked. "That's what happened to you, right?"

"Y-Yeah but.." I stumbled through my words. "Th-That's so weird! All of us got knocked out in the same way??"

"Exactly!" Mondo cut in, fumbling with the collar of his jacket. "That's why we're all freakin' out!"

"A-and that's not the only thing.." Hina said. "You saw all the windows, right? They're all boarded up with these huge metal plates! I mean, what's up with that?!"

"Plus," Mukuro cut in, looking irritated, "All my stuff's missing, even my phone!"

Everyone started looking through their pockets to confirm Mukuro's statement, but it was true. All the things that we were carrying had disappeared, all within the short timeframe of an hour.

"This whole place is giving me the creeps.." Hiro sighed. "Especially with that metal hatch. I mean, that's our only exit, and it's completely blocked off!"

"Yeah, and it definitely wasn't there when I first got here!" Taka exclaimed.

"Maybe..maybe we got caught up in some kind of crime or something?" Mukuro suggested. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Y-You mean like a kidnapping?!" Leon yelped. "Does that mean we're not actually in the school right now?"

"Come on, don't think like that!" Chihiro exclaimed. "I bet this is all part of the school's orientation procedure!"

Celeste raised her eyebrows.

"S-So you think they did this all to surprise us?" Hiro asked, already looking relieved at the possibility.

"Well, if that's all it is, I guess things aren't so bad after all!" Sayaka sighed contently. 

"Y-Yeah, that must be it!" Leon chimed in.

I could feel all the tension in the room evaporating, everybody's stressed expressions becoming calm. But I still felt a pit of dread in my stomach, and I knew somehow that the answer wasn't that simple.

And then, without warning...

It began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this took quite a while to write lol-  
> I know it's a little annoying that a lot of the dialogue in this was taken/slightly altered from the game, but I promise that the next chapters will have a lot more original pieces of dialogue, including more story events! I'll figure out a schedule for uploading the chapters soon, but so far, it seems like one new chapter will be posted every one or two days, depending on the length of it. Consider subscribing if you'd like to see how this story turns out!
> 
> Also, another small disclaimer: Despite the fact that every student's talent got switched, this doesn't necessarily mean their personalities got switched as well. Mondo and Sakura are the best example of this, since even though their roles were switched out, they still act relatively similar to their OG selves.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! And get ready, because the next chapter's going to be intense ;)


	3. These Puns are Unbearable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very "special" entrance ceremony is planned for the new students of Hope's Peak.

_**Ding Dong Bing Bong!!** _

_H-Huh..?_

Everybody looked up toward the source of the sound, the TV monitor, which was now crackling to life. However, nobody showed up on-screen. Instead, a black silhouette appeared in front of the static, taking on an odd shape I couldn't comprehend.

"Ahem, ahem!! Testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system!" A voice echoed through the monitor, one of the strangest voices I've ever heard in my life. It almost sounded like a toddler. "Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then..!"

The weird tone of the silhouetted person made me feel...odd. It sounded playful and cheerful, and yet I couldn't help but tense up upon hearing it. It was so out of place, so unconcerned by the strange situation we were in. Glancing around, I could see that others were having similar reactions as me, particularly Makoto, who was looking up at the monitor suspiciously.

"Ahh, to all incoming students!" The voice continued and I looked up. "I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at...right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience! I'll be waiting..." And with a click, the monitor turned off again, leaving us all in a state of shock.

The silence didn't last long however.

"What. The. Hell?! What was that?!" Mukuro exclaimed.

"O-obviously, it was one of the Hope's Peak's staff members.." Hifumi gave Mukuro a look as if it was obvious. 

"Well, then, if you'll excuse me.." Celeste quickly weaved her way through the crowd and started to walk off.

"H-Hey!" Mukuro called after her. "You're just gonna take off and leave us all here?!"

Ignoring her calls, Celeste continued to make her way down the hallway until she turned a corner and disappeared. Mukuro rolled her eyes as Chihiro suddenly gasped. "Ohh, I get it now! All this was just supposed to get us excited for the orientation!" She exclaimed. "And thank gosh it was! If this was real, I'd be totally freaked out right now.."  
  


Chihiro made her way toward the entrance, before turning back toward us. "Well, I guess I'll go too.. I wonder what they've got planned for us." And with that, she was gone as well.

"Darn, I was hoping we'd get more time off.." Sayaka sighed and ran off. 

"H-Hey wait up!" Toko raced after her and the two of them exited the hall.

Byakuya pushed up his glasses. "Well, I will see you all there." And he too exited.

One by one, everyone started to make their way to the gym. But I was frozen, too confused and anxious to make my move. That uneasy dread that appeared as soon as I heard that voice... That feeling just wouldn't go away. And I wasn't the only one staying put.

"Th-This is...this doesn't feel right.." Leon muttered, glancing up at the monitor as if he feared it was about to explode. 

"Yeah, that announcement was odd in the worst ways.." Mukuro said.

"Maybe, but staying here doesn't mean we'll be safe." Makoto put in, causing everyone to look towards him. "Besides," He continued. "Aren't you guys a little curious to find out what's really going on here?"

Mondo sighed. "I guess going is better than standing here like a pack of scared deer."

_Yeah, I guess they're right.. Either way, we have no choice. We have to go if we want to find out the truth._

Leon shuddered. "But s-something weird is going on here, right? It's not just me?"

I didn't say anything. Instead, I looked toward the metal vault behind us, the contraption blocking our only exit. If there really is some kind of practical joke going on here, it's not very funny..

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked around to see Makoto. "Look, I know how you feel, but...all we can do now is follow what the announcement said, right?"

I nodded my head and Makoto left. _He's right. That's our only option left._ I sighed and walked towards the entrance, pausing once before stepping outside. The bright lights of the hallway flashed against my face, and I squinted my eyes and looked away. _The gym has to be somewhere around here, right?_ I started to walk, looking around for what would hopefully be my destination.

On the way, I passed by a set of pink double doors with a heart drawn across the middle. The strange thing is, it was taped off with bright yellow caution tape. _This is so odd.. Perhaps it's getting repaired?_ Suddenly, I saw a flash of movement. I looked ahead quick enough to see the blur of a red and black jacket, disappearing into the corridor on the right. _Oh, that must be Taka!_

I ran toward him and entered into another hallway, which this time was covered with walls of a light yellow. I couldn't deny that this color was a little more comforting compared to the vibrant greens and purples I had seen previously. And just up ahead was, thankfully, two double doors with "Gym" written above it. I quickly turned the handle and opened the door, stepping inside what appeared to be a display room. The walls were covered with awards and posters for various sporting teams and clubs. And in front of me were six people, each wearing a similar expression of confusion and wariness on their faces.

"Gosh, I didn't realize this Hope's Peak Academy place was gonna be such a pain in my balls.." Mondo muttered, looking up at the ceiling in annoyance. "This place feels more like a prison if anything."

"And where exactly is everybody else? When I was on my way over here, I didn't see a single other student other than us.." Leon pointed out.

"Isn't that, like, really not good?!" Mukuro asked, anxiously looking back and forth between us.

"I-I'm sure they're just trying to spook us!" Hina exclaimed, though she too looked very uncomfortable. "They'll take down all those metal plates eventually!"

"All we can do now is hope for the best and pray things run smoothly from now on." Sakura said, crossing her arms.

"Well, it's ain't like I'm scared or anythin'!" Mondo grumbled. "Let's just get this over with already!"

Suddenly, he turned toward the door and kicked it open, running inside. "HEY! Who the hell called us over here?!"

"Hey, Mondo, stop running!" Hina ran after him.

"Well, then, we might as well all go now." Sakura said. "Remember, we must stay vigilant." She turned away from us and exited the display room, leaving Mukuro, Leon, Makoto and I alone.

I was still hesitant to walk into the gym, afraid of what might possibly await me. A small part of myself told me I was overreacting, and this is just probably how Hope's Peak runs things. But I knew that wasn't the answer. Something else was going on here.

As if on cue, Mukuro spoke up. "I'm getting a really bad vibe off of this place."

"Yeah! Like, why are we the only ones here?" Leon rubbed his neck uncomfortably. 

Makoto didn't say anything, but he too had an expression of uneasiness.

Eventually, curiosity took over me. "Well, we aren't going to find any answers unless we go inside." I said, walking up the the entrance and placing a hand on the doorknob.

"Yeah, you're right.." Leon walked over to me, as did Mukuro and Makoto. "Let's all go in together, shall we?"

I nodded my head and with a deep breath, opened the door.

~~~

But when I walked inside, I was surprised.

"Whoa.."

The gym was decorated with red and white banners, with the symbol of Hope's Peak Academy flashing in every direction. In front of us, there was a huge stage with a podium propped up, likely for the headmaster. And to top it all off, a large banner with the words "Entrance Ceremony" was hung on the ceiling.

"Oh, I guess it really is an orientation after all.." I said quietly.

"See, I told you!" Chihiro grinned. "Totally normal entrance ceremony stuff!"

Looking around at everybody else, I could see their relaxed expressions again, watching the podium expectantly. And for a split second, I mentally face-palmed myself for believing we were in any danger. Guess I really was just being paranoid..

And just like before, the calm was shattered once again.

"Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everybody here? Good! Then let's get things roollingg!"

Exclamations of surprise filled the room as we all whirled around toward the source of the voice. And as if we were in a cartoon, something bounced up from behind the podium, landing right next to the microphone. And it was a...huh?

"A...teddy bear?" Hiro asked, finishing my sentence.

"I'm _not_ a teddy bear." The object in question responded, making me flinch back in surprise. "I..am...MONOKUMA!! And I am this school's headmaster!"

_Wh...what the hell??_ If this experience were to fall into the list of "Strangest Experiences in my Life", it'd definitely be number one. Right before my eyes was a _talking_ , _moving_ , black-and-white bear, about the size of an average stuffed animal. What was even worse was the disturbing smile plastered on it's face, showing an array of mechanical teeth. And did it just say...that it was our headmaster...?

"It's nice to meet you all!" "Monokuma" exclaimed, looking around at our shocked faces. _S-So this was the person speaking through the monitor? Does that mean they really **are** our headmaster?! But how..? _All the anxiety that I'd been having on and off throughout the day suddenly resurged, transforming into outright fear.

"Wh-Wh??! How can it talk?!?!" Toko exclaimed, hands clamped over her mouth. 

"C-Calm down!! I'm sure there's just a speaker inside of it!" Hina said, glancing over to Monokuma as if trying to confirm whether or not she was right. The bear simply gave her and Toko a glare.

"I told you already, I'm _not_ a teddy bear!" Monokuma said, waving his arms up and down like we were in a comedy show. I would've laughed if I wasn't so terrified. "I'm Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster!!"

Toko screamed. "It moved!!"

"Seriously, chill out! It's probably just a remote-controlled toy or something!" Mondo said.

"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything.." Monokuma's head lowered. "Don't you know how badly words can hurt a person? Bear or not!" The animal suddenly lifted his head and laughed. "My remote control system is so complex, even NASA couldn't understand it! Ah, but don't make me crush NASA's poor little ego! I just wouldn't be able to BEAR that!"

Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "Did you seriously just make a bear pun?"

Ignoring her, Monokuma continued, "Now then, moving on! We really need to get started!"

"Oh really? No other bear quips?" Celeste asked sarcastically.

"Quiet down, quiet down! Now then.." Monokuma cleared his throat ( _How?_ ). "Everyone stand at attention and bow! And...good morning!!"

"Good morning!!" Hina exclaimed, making Taka and Leon jump at the sudden shout.

"D-Don't encourage him!" Hifumi shouted back.

"Now then," Monokuma continued, "Let us commence with Hope's Peak Academy's entrance ceremony! First, let's talk a bit about how your school life here will be like."

I looked up. _We were really having school here? But-_

"Now, ah, make no mistake. You students, so full of potential and talent, represent the hope of this world!" Monokuma said, pointing at us as he spoke. "And to protect that hope...you will all live a communal life together, solely within the barriers of this school."

Ignoring the confused whispers that erupted because of this, the bear talked over us instead. "Everyone will live in harmony together and adhere to the rules and regulations of this school. Now, regarding the end date of this communal life..."

Monokuma flashed a wicked grin. "There isn't one!!"

_What..?_

"In other words, you'll all be here until the day you die!!"

The steady silence that had maintained itself in the room throughout Monokuma's speech so far broke into a mess of confused shouting and questions.

"Wh-Until the day we die!??!" Hiro exclaimed, looking straight at Monokuma with a fearful expression.

The bear winked at him. "Oh, don't worry your little head off! We have quite the budget around here, so you won't be lacking in terms of the common conveniences!" 

"That's the least of our worries right now!" Leon yelled.

"Yeah, like what the hell?!" Mukuro chimed in, glaring at Monokuma. "You're saying I have to live here forever? You're screwing with us, right?"

Monokuma stomped his foot. "I'm not "screwing" with you! I am no liar, of that you can be 100% sure of!"

"Ah, and just for your information," The bear said, seeming to remember something, "You are all completely cut off from the outside world. So you don't have to worry about that dirty dirty land ever again!"

"C-Cut off..?" I finally spoke up. A million thoughts were spinning through my head. _We have to l_ _ive here..? Forever..?_ "So all those metal plates around the school...they're there to keep us trapped in?"

"That's exactly what they're there for!" Monokuma exclaimed. "No matter how much you may yell or scream or cry for help...help will not come. So with that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!"

_No...no, we can't be stuck here...there's got to be a way out.. I don't want to be here forever..!_

"Come on, what the hell?!"

A voice to my left made me look over, and I saw Sayaka standing nearby, glaring up at Monokuma with a defiant look in her eyes.

"I don't even care if the school is behind this or not, but this is one pretty twisted joke, y'know!" She said.

"Y-Yeah, cut it out!" Mondo chimed in, "This isn't funny anymore!"

Monokuma's face darkened. "Unbelievable, all of you. You keep saying that it's a lie, or a joke. A bunch of skeptics, aren't you?"

The bear shrugged. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to figure out whether or not I'm lying the longer you stay here, right?" 

"And when that time comes.." Monokuma winked. "You'll see with your own eyes that I speak the undeniable truth!"

"Having to live here forever would be...most unfortunate." Byakuya said solemnly, gazing toward the ground.

"Oh come now, why so grim?" Monokuma asked, cocking his head to the side like a curious puppy. "You decided of your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, did you not? And now, before class even starts, you already want to leave?"

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room. Most people looked like they were only half-listening to the bear's speech, too consumed in their own thoughts to pay any more attention. I myself was one of them. After all, living forever...here? I-I still have so many things I want to do..!

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a sudden gasp from Monokuma. "Oh silly me! How could I have forgotten something so important? There _is_ a way for you to leave the school!"

You could practically hear everybody's heads whip up at this. "R-Really?" Hifumi exclaimed.

"As headmaster, I've created a special clause for those of you who would like to leave!" Monokuma exclaimed. "I call it the Graduation Clause!"

Anybody who wasn't paying attention before certainly was now. Hina was watching the bear with a determined look in her eye, almost as if she was listening to a lecture. Makoto on the other hand _was_ paying attention, but he was also looking around the room, particularly near the spot where Monokuma was standing. However, I didn't have any more time to think about this, as Monokuma started talking once more.

"Now, let me tell you about this fun little rule." He said. "As I said before, in order to maintain a peaceful environment here at Hope's Peak, we rely on a communal lifestyle. But if somebody were to disrupt that peace, they and _only they_ would be allowed to leave the school."

_Huh..? Disrupt the peace? What's that supposed to mean?_ "That, my students, is the Graduation Clause!" Monokuma finished, clapping his paws together.

Celeste glared at him. "What do you mean by "disrupt the peace"? She asked. Monokuma laughed.

"Well you know..." He giggled.

" _If one person were to murder another."_

I felt my face pale. "M-Murder..?" I stuttered out.

"Yes indeed! Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter!" Monokuma winked at us. " _You must kill someone if you want to leave._ It's as simple as that, kids! So give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible!"

Up until now, all I was scared of the fact that we might not get out of here. But now, there's the chance of _dying_ within these walls?! That's crazy...nobody would ever attempt to kill someone to try and leave...right? But those words...that simple sentence... " _You must kill someone if you want to leave."_ It was enough to make my blood run cold.

Monokuma giggled. "Hee-hee! I bet that got your brain juices flowing!"

"Like I said before, you guys are the hope of this world. But you know..." The bear( _that stupid, sociopathic stuffed bear..!)_ pretended to think for a second. "Taking that hope and seeing it get destroyed creates a darkened shadow of despair. And I just find that...so...darn...exciting!!!"

Monokuma let out a wicked stream of laughter, one that sent a chill down my spine. 

"Wh-What the hell are you talking about?!" I jumped and turned around to see Leon staring at the bear with a mixture of fear and disbelief. "To kill each other, it's-it's-"

"To kill each other is to kill each other." Monokuma replied coldly. "I'm sure there's a dictionary around here somewhere if you need it." Leon backed away, but said nothing more.

"We know what it means, that's not the problem!" Taka yelled out. "Why do we have to kill each other?!"

"Yeah!" Toko chimed in. "Stop blabbering on with all this nonsense and let us go home already!"

"..Blabbering?" Monokuma stared at the two, who continued to look back at him defiantly. There was a small pause of silence as the students looked expectantly up at the bear, but he still said nothing. Then suddenly-

"Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean blabbering?!" Monokuma shouted, his mechanical red eye glowing intimidatingly. Taka and Toko jumped and immediately started to back away. "Stop blabbering on about blabbering on!"

Calming down, Monokuma continued to glare at us. "You guys just don't get it, do you? 'Let us go, let us go'! You keep saying the same thing over and over! Listen, from this moment on, Hope's Peak Academy is your home, your life, your world. Got it?" Monokuma suddenly grinned. "And you can kill as much as you wanna kill! So go ahead, go on a kill-kill-killing spree!!"

I started to tremble in my boots. We had to live here forever, in a place completely unknown to all of us. And...the only way to leave is to kill someone? To murder another student...? This- This is..!?

I heard a small giggle behind me and looked around bewilderingly to see Chihiro, covering her laughter behind her hands and looking up at Monokuma with a smile on her face. "Alright come on, how much longer are you gonna keep this up?" She asked the bear, who looked down at her confusedly.

"Eh?" He asked.

"You got us, alright? You scared the hell out of us. So you can go ahead and reveal the trick now." Chihiro replied.

"Reveal the trick..?" Monokuma innocently smiled.

"Y-Yeah, cause I mean...this is all some kind of joke, right...? So, like.." Chihiro's laughs slowly died down as Monokuma continued to smile at her.

"Alright, move aside." Mondo stepped in front of Chihiro, and glared at Monokuma. "Listen up, you sociopath! This has gone way too far! What the hell kinda joke IS this?!"

"Joke? What, you mean like your hair?" The bear giggled.

"You son of a-!?" With a yell, Mondo lunged at Monokuma, grabbing him by the throat in a flash and holding him up in the air. The bear made a cry of surprise and kicked out, his legs dangling in the air.

"Gotcha, ya little piece of shit!" Mondo yelled, shaking him up and down. "I dunno if you're a toy or a stuffed animal or whatever the hell! Either way, I'm gonna rip you to frickin' shreds if you keep this up!"

"Waah!! Violence against the headmaster is in violation of school regulations!" Monokuma shrieked.

"Shut the hell up!" Mondo yelled back. "Let us outta here or I swear to Christ-!"

Whatever he was about to say next was cut off by a series of loud beeping noises, seeming to come from Monokuma himself. The bear in question suddenly went limp, his arms falling to his side and his head drooping downward. Mondo raised an eyebrow. "What, no smartass comeback this time?" He asked sarcastically.

Monokuma didn't respond, but the beeping sped up, becoming more frantic. "S-Stop that goddamn beeping and say something!" Mondo yelled.

Suddenly, a voice cried out. "Watch out! Get rid of it!" I whirled around to see Makoto, who was suddenly running forward with an distressed expression on his face.

"Huh-?" Mondo looked over as the sound got even faster.

"Hurry up and throw it!" Makoto yelled.

I wasn't sure if it was the sudden order or who it was coming from that stunned Mondo, but without a word he did what he was told. He...threw Monokuma. And as soon as he did-!

_**BOOM!!** _

The bear exploded, making a catastrophic sound and sending smoke and debris flying in every direction. Explosions might happen all the time in movies or television, but when it was in real life? It was terrifying. I yelped and dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding a flying piece of metal that came out of the blast. A painful ringing filled my ears and I covered them, squinting through the smoke. Eventually, it finally cleared, revealing the charred pieces of Monokuma laying on the ground and a gaping Mondo.

"Wh-What the hell?!" He sputtered. "T-That sure wasn't a joke..it just blew up!"

"B-But, you know.." Hiro said. "This means the teddy bear's been destroyed, right?"

"I told you, I'm not a teddy bear!" The voice responded, and Hiro yelped. "I'm Monokuma!"

And just like it never happened, the bear appeared out of nowhere. 

"Wh-What the?! There's another one?!" Sayaka shrieked.

"Y-You son of a bitch!" Mondo yelled. "You seriously tried to kill me just now!"

"Of course I was serious!" Monokuma replied. "You did violate one of the school regulations after all. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but you'd better be careful from now on! Any naughty student who breaks my rules won't get off with just a little swat on the butt."

"H-Hey wait.." Mukuro glanced up at Monokuma fearfully. "So does this mean there's more of you around the school?"

"Monokumas have been placed all over the school, yes." He replied. "And don't forget the surveillance cameras! If you're caught breaking any rules, well...you all saw what just happened, right?"

An unstoppable dread started to consume me, freezing me where I stood. Not only was the situation we were in unbelievable, it was also incredibly terrifying. This..."Monokuma" was serious. We either stay here forever, or face the consenquences...or murder a fellow classmate. A new emotion came over me. Though I was unsure what I was feeling at the time, I know what it was now. It was **despair.** And that feeling wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaahh this was another long one-  
> I know the end of the chapter was super abrupt, but I felt like it was getting a little too long, so I cut it off there. But like I said before, chapter updates come really fast, so you won't have to wait for long! :D
> 
> Also, another thing is that I know Mondo acted exactly like how he does in the game, despite the fact this is supposed to be a Talentswap AU, but there's a good explanation for that! Basically, everyone's talents are switched, yes, but their original personalities stay generally the same, particularly Mondo and Sakura's (mainly because I couldn't imagine Sakura being hot-headed lol).
> 
> Anywho, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it took a little while for it to come out, but the next chapter should be completed quicker! :3


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